Children of the Incarcerated: Serving time without committing the crime

When

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Location

Webinar

Registration

PASAP Member Registration

Members only webinar

Registration is closed

Webinar Description: The children of the incarcerated number 81,100 in the state of Pennsylvania. Often, they go unidentified in schools and communities guarding their secret plight out of shame and fear. Their need is high and their situations often a crisis. We know that incarceration of a parent is a measured ACE, but little is being done nationally to address their situation. A grieving child, who may have witnessed their parents arrest, is quickly placed somewhere new and told not to talk about it...especially at school.

Caregivers take on the unexpected addition of children to their families out of necessity, but are often unable sustain the additional demand of time, finances, and patience required for their care. They may not have the appropriate paperwork for guardianship, educational or medical care to be obtained. Supporting that initial caregiver can dramatically reduce the child's likelihood of experiencing additional childhood trauma during their parents incarceration.

Student Assistance Program can provide a valuable support system necessary during this period of fear and uncertainty for the children of the incarcerated.

Presenter:Bevan Allen, BA, CAT, started her career in therapeutic foster care under the tutelage of Nancy Thomas, author of When Love is Not Enough, and moved into alternative education as an intervention specialist. At Polaris Alternative School she specialized in crisis management, gang related issues, as well as providing therapeutic interventions for, and building resiliency in, youth experiencing deviant behaviors. She moved into writing social & emotional learning-based curricula at the school for secondary youth, as well as staff training.

Later, at the Department of Homeland Security, Bevan she realized that even inside of a punitively-based system, she always looked at people with empathetic eyes. This lead to an interest in addiction and prevention, and she was excited to find an opportunity with Compass Mark which returned her to focus to resiliency once again. She is a Commonwealth Approved Trainer for the student assistance program and also the Chief of Operations at Compass Mark.